Valiant for Truth - Modern Church

Western interest in the Eastern Orthodox Church is growing. Some enjoy its experiential liturgical worship; others appreciate its connection to ancient tradition. Reformed Christians might benefit from its distinction between God’s essence and energies.

Office Hours talks with Dr. Ryan Glomsrud, Associate Professor of Historical Theology at Westminster Seminary California, about the study of modern theology. Dr. Glomsrud recently completed doctoral work on Karl Barth at Oxford and post-doctoral research on modern theology at Harvard University.

Written correspondence between Christians has played an important role in the past social life of the church. Pastors and theologians have exchanged letters between their colleagues, their friends and the members of their congregations. Some of these letters have been preserved for us and provide interesting and even edifying insights into the Christian life.

The noted Lutheran theologian, Gerhard Ebeling, wrote a provocative essay entitled, “Church History is the History of the Exposition of Scripture.”[1] The essay attempts to locate the place of church history within the broader study of theology, defining its relationship to it.

The Scriptures tell us that the gospel is “the power of God for salvation for everyone who believes” (Romans 1:16). The gospel, preached and attended to by the Holy Spirit, has the unique ability to transform enslaved sinners into free children of God. And that gospel is best illustrated to people from the lives of others who have come to know Christ. The book of Acts portrays several people who came to know Christ through the preaching of the gospel and their stories, filled with suffering and hope, are powerful as they bear witness to the saving work of Jesus Christ.